Memories of miners’ strike 30 years on

Amar Kanwar A Love Story Picture courtesy of YSP/Reuters

That’s the question being jointly posed by the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and National Coal Mining Museum as the 30th anniversary of the strike approaches.

The neighbouring attractions are hosting a ‘Mining Stories’ event next Friday.

It has been prompted by Amar Kanwar: The Sovereign Forest and Other Stories exhibition at the park, which looks at the impact of mining and other commercial activities on the landscape and communities in Odisha, India.

The event at sculpture park will start at 2pm with a curator-led tour of the Kanwar exhibition in the Underground Gallery and open air.

Afterwards there is an opportunity to hear two people’s accounts of their different experiences in Odisha and Yorkshire, as well as a round table discussion to share your own memories of mining.

Anne Bradley, social and oral history curator at the coal mining museum in Overton said: “Mining Stories is an opportunity for people to talk about their personal experiences and memories of mining, whether good or bad. It will be particularly interesting to compare the stories in the UK to accounts from Odisha.”

The YSP and NCM have already collected some first-hand recollections from people living in mining communities, which are available to listen to on ysp.co.uk

To book your place on Mining Stories, visit www.ysp.co.uk/events/mining-stories or call 01924 832631.